Elmer T Lee is a legend of the whisk(e)y world. He passed away earlier this year at the age of 93. Supple, soft, creamy and buttery, the fruit notes balance against the oak to deliver a nicely balanced bourbon. It is spicy on the nose, with charred oak and vanilla as that vanilla proceeds to the palate with candied fruit and mahogany. Toffee develops with the candied fruit, as a dry oak laden finish lingers. This is lovely bourbon! It is not good value in Australia, but it is in the United States.

Dislikes:

This is very good bourbon. Very good, not great. What strikes me most about this bourbon is that it costs about $100 in Australia but around $25 in the United States. This is a $25 bourbon! Remember, the Australian dollar has been almost the same as the US dollar for a long while now. This whiskey is not worth $100, probably not even $50… and for around $38 you can get Jim Beam Devil’s Cut. As an Australian, what troubles me is that some companies expect Australians to pay $100 for a $25 bourbon – that is almost four times more!By way of comparison, Jim Beam Devil’s Cut sells in the United States for about $25. It sells in Australia for about $38, good price! When factoring in shipping and taxes etc this is quite good. Elmer T Lee sells in the United States for about $25-$30 (depending where you look) and in Australia for $100, a mark up of 400%…! Why?